I hope you're all going to send Gordon Brown a thank you card after the budget speech

[alfie1999]

Apparently, you've never had it so good in the military!

[wg13_dummy]

Depends whos military he is talking about. Certainly not the one I'm in.

[noregrets]

Mr Darling said an extra £2bn will be spent on troops in the frontline, including £900m on military equipment.

Don't spend it all at once!

[Jackonicko]

Borrowing up to £43 Bn. (Thinks: how much did we spend on Northern Rock?)

Tax rise equivalent to £1.9 Bn by 2010 - most of it regressive.

£1.9 BN extra to fight child poverty.

£20 extra on child benefit (which is still not means tested, so that Dukes and Duchesses qualify!)

"Mr Darling denied claims the government has cut defence spending, claiming the defence budget has seen the longest period of growth in recent times. The chancellor has broken his speech to pay tribute to the armed forces."

£2 Bn extra (roughly 5%?) on 'frontline troops', including £900 m extra on defence equipment.

[Not_a_boffin]

Were his lips moving? Oh well, you know what they say......

[BellEndBob]

The Armed Forces are voluntary.

If you get fed up with it, as I did, then leave, as I did.

If you don't like the Government, go to the Ballot Box, write to your MP etc etc.

In other words, stop bloody whingeing and do something.

After the first 2 months on the outside, which was scary, I am now in a job that pays 50% more, working for people who acknowledge, and reward, effort. It is not hampered by PC crap and the bosses are judged on delivery of end product, not ability to kiss arse and raise money for charity.

Try it, you might like it.

To those in the sand, stay safe.

[Confucius]

BellEnd indeed.

[Aeronut]

"If you get fed up with it, as I did, then leave, as I did"

but still pine for the RAF and feel the need to visit Pprune military forum to keep in touch, now that your a salesman, or whatever.:hmm:

[airborne_artist]

£2 Bn extra (roughly 5%?) on 'frontline troops', including £900 m extra on defence equipment.Is this new money, or previously announced money that's been re-packaged?

[Roland Pulfrew]

£20 extra on child benefit (which is still not means tested, so that Dukes and Duchesses qualify!)


Jacko. It's probably the Dukes and Duchesses who need it more than most. If you had said the Beckhams and (damn can't think of any other overpaid footballers with kids) celebs you might have been closer to the mark.

Can anyone explain why we still have this stupid payment? Wasn't it brought in after the war to try and encourage families to have children to repopulate and replace those lost during the war?

If we scraped child benefit altogether the govt could save on all the administrators who have to, err, administrate it :O. We could then save on the allowance and the pay and pensions for all those involved in running the out-of-date scheme. This could pay for a lower rate of tax which would benefit all of those who actually work and therefore pay for this anachronism.

Let's face it. Those that are educated enough to actually put this towards their children are unlikely to need it. And those that aren't are probably spending the cash on booze, fags and McBurger Fried Foods so it isn't actually relieving "child poverty".

Lights blue touch paper, grabs tin hat and popcorn and retires carefully:E

[mckelvey]

"After the first 2 months on the outside, which was scary, I am now in a job that pays 50% more, working for people who acknowledge, and reward, effort. It is not hampered by PC crap and the bosses are judged on delivery of end product, not ability to kiss arse and raise money for charity.

Try it, you might like it."

You are such a clever chappy and we miss you sorely. I don't know how we coped without you.

Pri*k

PS:

Don't judge us all by your same standards. Some of us raise money for charity without other agenda's

[knowitall]

"£20 extra on child benefit (which is still not means tested, so that Dukes and Duchesses qualify!)"

means testing is complex, costs lost of money, and would probably discourage those who need it most from appplying..........bit like the Working families tax credit!

[glad rag]

Don't judge us all by your same standards. Some of us raise money for charity without other agenda's

You are indeed a shining tower of deliverance, rising above a sea of mediocrity, a rare example indeed. :D

[Greenleader]

Always amuses me how the mud slinging starts when someone expresses an opinion that differs from one's own. For chrissake fella's - this is a rumour forum - a place for all views, and anyone who takes it so seriously as to feel the need to start sniping needs to get a life - or is this your life? Ah well - keeps me amused... :}

[VinRouge]

Darling sucked.

Cameron on the other hand, kicked arse.

Pointed out exactly why the next ten years are going to be far worse than the last ten...

All that debt has to be repaid! :suspect:

As for the budget, how about we force doleites into jobs to earn their handouts? Plenty of decent jobs out there picking spuds, they get the choice, either increase UK productivity or you starve.

[Sailor Vee]

spending the cash on booze, fags and McBurger Fried FoodsNah, if you remember Adrian Mole's mother, she spent it on fags and gin, obviously slightly more classy!

[Zoom]

I have coped with most of the changes that Budgets over the years have brought - up a bit here, down a bit there - and I suppose I will just have to continue coping. What I can't cope with is the appallingly wasteful way in which so much of the money collected from the taxpayers is frittered away on useless pet projects. If only politicians (of all parties) could apply some serious brainpower to the task of using the money wisely for the benefit of the nation in the long term rather than for catching votes in the short term then I might feel that Budgets are not altogether bad.

[Wyler]

I am sick and tired of seeing that man giggling like a 12 year old on the front benches.

He is neither leader nor statesman.

Shame is I have no idea who could replace these bloody people.

:(:(:(:(

[Bladdered]

A military coup ;)

[Wyler]

Nah, Health & Safety issues. Plus, the Risk Assessment would take forrrreeeevvvvvveeerrrr.

[Guzlin Adnams]

:ok:Like the words zoom. This countries getting too expensive to live in.
We need to make the most of every taxpayers pound not 30 pence of it.

[Chielman]

None of the money for defence is "new". It's a re-announcement of the cash requested by MoD from the Treasury contingency funds as part of the operational estimates for hot, sandy places and the Balkans. The £900m for equipment is largely for UORs.

Main Building will have to stump up a 50% share of whatever UORs receive final approval two years or so down the line. Usual Neue Arbeit spin and bo**ocks. All equipment bought reverts to MoD's core budget for depreciation and other beancounter niff-naff reasons after an agreed period, further eating into the dwindling kitty.